Publisher's Synopsis
Lin Mang, blinded by proximity to her father's lacquerware factory, manages her own industry - a seamstress, who amazes her neighbors by producing unparalleled embroidery in a long-lost style passed to her through the women of her clan. Lin Mang's world is dark, yet she navigates it as if nothing is amiss. Then the world changes. Invaders stalk the land; and her cottage industry is disrupted by the ravages of war. Lin Mang, however, is above such inconveniences. There is always a path to survival and, with the aid of an unusual collection of companions, she moves forward - one bell ring' one tongue click at a time. The sweep of change defeats many, but some are born to ride the tide to shore.
The Six Bells of Madame Lin is the first book in The Witch of Marigold Hall Trilogy, a fictionalized account of the struggles of Lin Mang, a blind woman who manages to navigate the world during the Mongol conquest of China in the 13th Century. Without sight, she is a legend in her province, excelling as a seamstress who embroiders using a unique stitch which sighted craft folk find impossible to master. Reliant on her remaining four senses and a penchant for cleverness, this blind girl becomes a force, forging her way through difficult times and winning a place in the conquerors' hearts. Some would profit from her industry while others would marvel at her skills. Some would call her a leader. Some would call her a witch - the witch of Marigold Hall. Come follow the sound of her bell and the click of her tongue as she leads you through the darkness and light of her tale.
